House prices at record high

The price of a typical home in the UK rose by 1% between March and April, according to the latest figures from the Nationwide House Price Index, this is the largest monthly rise since June 2014.

UK  house price growth rose an annual rate of 5.2 per cent in April, a small rise from the fgure of 5.2% in March . This put the average cost of a house in the UK at £193,048, that is the  highest since records began.

Nationwide’s chief economist Robert Gardner is reported as saying, “The pick up in growth price has occurred even though the pace of activity in the housing market has remained fairly subdued in recent months. Indeed, the number of mortgage approvals is still well below its long run average and 20% below the levels recorded in early 2014.

The strength of the economy and relatively subdued pace of activity in the housing market remains something of anomoly.It is possible that heightened uncertainty ahead of the election is weighing on activity, though there is no compelling evidence from previous UK elections to suggest a strong impact.

Healthy labour market conditions and continued low mortgage rates should help to underpin housing demand in the quarters ahead”

 

Allen Walkey

Highly experienced businessman with a successful career in property sales and investment both in the UK and abroad. Now a freelance writer and blogger for the property and Investment Industry, keeping readers up-to-date with changes and events in a rapidly changing world.

You May Also Enjoy

Estate Agent Talk

What Every Estate Agent Should Tell Clients Before Moving Day

For most estate agents, the job is done once contracts are exchanged, completion takes place, and the keys are handed over. For your client, however, that’s when one of the biggest challenges begins. Moving day has the power to turn months of excitement into an incredibly stressful experience, or a smooth finish to what has…
Read More
Breaking News

Heatwaves haven’t diminished love for south-facing gardens

The latest research from Yopa reveals that despite 81% of people saying they have been avoiding their garden during the recent heatwaves, south-facing gardens continue to be the preferred orientation of choice for UK homeowners, attracting house price premiums of over £20,000 on average. However, the insight from Yopa also suggests that should heatwaves become…
Read More
Rightmove logo
Breaking News

Rightmove extends conversational search experience to property listings 

Rightmove is launching the next stage of its conversational search experience for home-movers, bringing the innovative new capability to its property listings. The move is part of Rightmove’s approach to ensure that ‘However you discover, we have you covered’. The ‘Ask Rightmove’ conversational search experience launched on its home page earlier this year, bringing a more personalised and interactive way to search…
Read More
Breaking News

Homebuyer demand slips in Q2 2026

Buyer demand slips in Q2 2026, with North and Midlands continuing to outperform southern markets The latest sales demand data from eXp UK has revealed that homebuyer demand in England slipped by -1.1% in Q2 2026. The analysis also reveals a continued regional divide, with a number of counties in the North and Midlands recording…
Read More
Estate Agent Talk

International buyer slowdown one of Prime London’s biggest challenges

The latest survey of UK prime residential agents by AgentWise has found that many believe a slowdown in international buyer activity to be one of the biggest challenges facing the market today, whilst many have also noted an increase in the number of clients looking to explore property opportunities overseas rather than the UK. AgentWise…
Read More
Breaking News

Housing market hit by £21m increase in fall-through bill

The latest Fall-Through Index by the House Buyer Bureau reveals that the number of property fall-throughs across the UK increased by 9.8% during the first quarter of 2026, resulting in an additional £20.9m in costs to the housing market compared to the previous quarter. House Buyer Bureau analysed the latest data from TwentyCi on the estimated…
Read More